News 3rd-Grader Brings Gun To School, Accidentally Shoots Classmate

Augusta, GA – Tuesday has been an emotional day for parents and loved ones of kids at W.S. Hornsby K-8 School.

Parents rushed to the school just a around lunch time only knowing that there was a gun at school.

One big sister can breathe a sigh of relief after an unexpected day for Maequoia. “Well, you need to go pick her up because they had a shooting. That’s the only way I found out,” Martika Jackson told WJBF News Channel 6.

Her second grade sister told us she heard crying and saw people running out of classrooms. “We were taking a test. I was about to get up, but she said, ‘stay down and put your head down’, so I put my head down,” Maequoia Reeves said.

We found out from the Richmond County School System’s Communications director that a boy brought a gun to class against state and school policies. “A student was playing with a weapon inside his desk. The weapon discharged and grazed a student in her side,” Kaden Jacobs said.

Tasha Williams picked her child up from the middle school side of the building. “I had to rush up here to get my son out of school. When I got here, the lady told me, ‘you know it was at the elementary school?’ I said, ‘well ma’am, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Williams said.

While some parents took precautions, others remained emotional until a Richmond County Board of Education Police Department ID check guaranteed them access to their kids.

“It’s not a comfortable feeling. It’s something we see on the news and we don’t expect it to happen so close and then, when it is close, you don’t know what to really think,” Joe’Micah Thurmond told us before he picked up his little brother. “A lot of stuff goes on around here, but one bad apple makes the whole bunch look bad. So, it’s not most of the kids. Every now and again, you get one that gets out of line and gets a little crazy. Whose ever weapon was found should have done better as to having it put up. Child should not have had access to it,” he added.

But inside, kids were prepared. Cheyenne Ellison was one of them. “I would have got in the cabinet and acted like I was a cleaning substance,” she told us.

India Ferrell was another one of them. “It was right around the corner from my classroom” she said. “How did you feel inside?” we asked India. “I was scared. Yeah, I was scared,” Ferrell replied.

That fear has parents planning what should be next…

Shon Green said parents have a job to do. “Check the book bags and make sure your children aren’t taking things to school,” Green said.

“Maybe we can get metal detectors, or something like that. That would work,” said Sonya Logan.

The 3rd grade girl who was grazed by the bullet is “resting comfortably at home”, according to Richmond County Schools’ superintendent, Dr. Angela Pringle. The 3rd grade boy who brought the gun to school was taken into police custody.

All of the other students are safe. Many went home with their parents shortly after the incident.

Augusta, GA – Tuesday has been an emotional day for parents and loved ones of kids at W.S. Hornsby K-8 School.

Parents rushed to the school just a around lunch time only knowing that there was a gun at school.

One big sister can breathe a sigh of relief after an unexpected day for Maequoia. “Well, you need to go pick her up because they had a shooting. That’s the only way I found out,” Martika Jackson told WJBF News Channel 6.

Her second grade sister told us she heard crying and saw people running out of classrooms. “We were taking a test. I was about to get up, but she said, ‘stay down and put your head down’, so I put my head down,” Maequoia Reeves said.

We found out from the Richmond County School System’s Communications director that a boy brought a gun to class against state and school policies. “A student was playing with a weapon inside his desk. The weapon discharged and grazed a student in her side,” Kaden Jacobs said.

Tasha Williams picked her child up from the middle school side of the building. “I had to rush up here to get my son out of school. When I got here, the lady told me, ‘you know it was at the elementary school?’ I said, ‘well ma’am, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Williams said.

While some parents took precautions, others remained emotional until a Richmond County Board of Education Police Department ID check guaranteed them access to their kids.

“It’s not a comfortable feeling. It’s something we see on the news and we don’t expect it to happen so close and then, when it is close, you don’t know what to really think,” Joe’Micah Thurmond told us before he picked up his little brother. “A lot of stuff goes on around here, but one bad apple makes the whole bunch look bad. So, it’s not most of the kids. Every now and again, you get one that gets out of line and gets a little crazy. Whose ever weapon was found should have done better as to having it put up. Child should not have had access to it,” he added.

But inside, kids were prepared. Cheyenne Ellison was one of them. “I would have got in the cabinet and acted like I was a cleaning substance,” she told us.

India Ferrell was another one of them. “It was right around the corner from my classroom” she said. “How did you feel inside?” we asked India. “I was scared. Yeah, I was scared,” Ferrell replied.

That fear has parents planning what should be next…

Shon Green said parents have a job to do. “Check the book bags and make sure your children aren’t taking things to school,” Green said.

“Maybe we can get metal detectors, or something like that. That would work,” said Sonya Logan.

The 3rd grade girl who was grazed by the bullet is “resting comfortably at home”, according to Richmond County Schools’ superintendent, Dr. Angela Pringle. The 3rd grade boy who brought the gun to school was taken into police custody.

All of the other students are safe. Many went home with their parents shortly after the incident.